Dispensing valve construction



Oct. 3, 1967 B. A. DIAMOND 3,344,964

I DISPENSING VALVE CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 2, 1966 Fig. l 16 2 Z4 1 56 Z8 3 l v 12 zz I I i L 4L Z6 7 INVENTOR.

Be nJ (1m Ln AVD Ramona AGENT United States Patent 3,344,964 DISPENSING VALVE CONSTRUCTION Benjamin A. Diamond, Fairfield, Conn., assignor to Valve Corporation of America, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 524,644 2 Claims. (Cl. 222511) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dispensing valve construction comprising a valve housing having inlet and outlet passages and an intersecting bore in which there is a slide spool valve which is axially moved by means of a spring and a push-button extension which it carries. The spool valve comprises a resilient plastic cup in which the valve return spring is carried. The spring diameter is large enough to slightly expand the cup diametrically whereby it is always maintained in continual pressing engagement with the said bore of the housing to minimize leakage past the cup.

This invention relates to small hand-held dispensers, and more particularly to the valve construction of such dispensers.

Objects of the invention arevto provide a novel and improved dispensing valve construction for small .handheld dispensers, which is especially simple and inexpensive, involving relatively few parts easily produced mostly by plastic molding, yet which is effective and reliable as well as being easy acting in its operation; to provide an improved valve construction as above, which is essentially leakproof, rugged, sanitary, and not likely to clog or become jammed; and to provide a valve construction as characterized, which is small, compact and easily and quickly assembled as well as being adaptable to a wide variety of uses. I

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a dispensing valve construction as provided by the invention, mounted on the top wall of a dispensing container.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the valve construction, taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the valve in the closed or flow-halting position.

FIG. 3 is a view like that of FIG. 2, but showing the valve in the open or dispensing condition.

As shown, the valve construction comprises a molded plastic valve housing in the form of a conical member, having a vertical discharge passage 12 and a depending collar 14 communicating with the discharge passage and frictionally holding a press-fitted dip tube 16.

The lower portion of the valve housing 10 extends through an opening in the top wall 18 of a dispensing container, said portion being spun over, as indicated at 20, on the underside of the top wall to retain the valve housing in the required, mounted position. A sealing gasket 22 engaged with the top wall 18 around the opening thereof, prevents leakage of product at this point.

The valve housing has a horizontal discharge passage 24, in which there is press-fitted a nozzle 26.

In accordance with the invention, a novel and improved control valve assemblage is provided in the valve housing 10, in conjunction with the vertical discharge passage 12 and the horizontal discharge passage 24. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the valve housing 10 has a horizontal bore 28 which crosses the juncture of the vertical passage 12 and horizontal passage 24. Preferably, the bore 28 and passages 12 and 24 are all at right angles to each other, the bore 28 however crossing the juncture of the two passages whereas each such passage terminates at its juncture with the other.

Disposed in the bore 28 is a cup-shaped resilient plastic valve member 30 accommodating a helical compression spring 32 hearing at one end against recessed end wall 34 of the valve housing and at its other end against the end wall of the valve member 30.

' Connected to the valve member 30 is an operating stem 36 which in turn is connected with a manually operable plunger 38 projecting from the horizontal bore 28 and constituting a finger piece adapted to be depressed, for efiecting opening of the valve. The plunger 38 has a curved finger-engageable head portion 40, and adjacent the stem 36 it has an annular or conical bead 42 which constitutes part of a detent means as will now be explained.

At the mouth of the bore 28 there is provided an internal annular detent head 44 which is cooperable with the head 42 of the plunger 38 to hold the latter captive in the valve housing 10. Thus, the plunger 38 is movable between projecting and depressed positions indicated respectively in FIGS. 2 and 3. For the projecting position of the plunger 38, the spring 32 maintains the valve member 30 at the juncture ofthe discharge passages 12, 24 whereby these are closed and out of communication with each other. Accordingly, no flow can take place from the tip tube 16 into the nozzle 26. However, when the plunger 38 is depressed as illustrated in FIG. 3, the valve member 30 is displaced from the juncture of the discharge passages, and the liquid product of the container can flow upward through the dip tube 16, and around the operating stem 36 and thereafter out through the nozzle 26.

I have found that by making the valve member 30 of hollow, cup-like configuration with the spring 32 disposed inside the member, a desirable yieldability is had while at the same time an effective sealing engagement results, which can prevent flow of the liquid product through the discharge passages 12, 24. Preferably, the spring 32 is of sufficiently large diameter that it tends to slightly expand diametrically and circumferentially the valve member 30, thereby causing the latter to continually maintain a sealing pressure and engagement with the walls of the bore 28. As a consequence, an effective valving action is had, by which complete stoppage of flow through the discharge passages is experienced for the closed condition of the valve illustrated in FIG. 2.

The annular detent head 44 of the valve housing 10 is formed at the same time that the valve housing is molded. Due to the resilience and the yield'ability of the plastic substance, which may for example be polyethylene, the coring piece which forms the bore 28 in the die may be readily withdrawn without appreciable hindrance and without damaging or deforming the bead.

In the assembly of the device, the yieldability of the plastic parts, namely the valve member 30 and the valve housing 10, in conjunction with the conical configuration of the bead 42 of the plunger 38, permits the spring, valve and plunger to be inserted in the bore 28 in the proper operative position, all without difficulty. During such insertion, a slight stretching of the detent bead 44 and a contraction of the plunger bead 42 will occur, but this is only momentary, and upon removal of the stretching force the bead will resume substantially its initial given shape whereby in conjunction with the plunger bead 42 it holds the plunger captive during normal operation of the valve mechanism.

The recess 34 in the end wall of the bore 28 positions one end of the spring 32 centrally and holds the end against lateral movement whereby the spring will not interfere with the rim of the valve cup during opening movement of the valve. Thus a smooth and easy valve action is insured.

In this connection the bearing provided for the plunger 38 is also of importance. The bead 42 of the plunger bears against the walls of the bore 28, and the bead 44 bears against the plunger, all during the operating movement of the plunger. An adequate and smooth support of the plunger is thus had at all times.

Preferably the valve 30, stem 36 and plunger 38 are molded as a single integral plastic piece to effect accurate alignment of the sliding surfaces.

It will now be understood from the foregoing that I have provided a novel and improved, especially simple and effective dispensing valve mechanism wherein the parts may be readily molded and formed of plastic substance except for the valve return spring 32. The construction is such that an effective seal and closure of the discharge passages is had when the valve is in the nondispensing position of FIG. 2, yet there is possible an easy and convenient actuation of the valve to the dispensing condition of FIG. 3. All of the parts may be readily economically molded and assembled, whereby the manufacturing cost is held to a low figure.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims, and portions of the improvement may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A dispensing valve construction comprising, in combination:

(a) a valve housing having inlet and discharge passages communicating with each other, and having a bore constituting a valve seat and valve bearing,

(b) said bore being disposed at a juncture of, and communicating with both said passages,

(c) a cup-shaped resilient plastic valve member having a transverse bottom wall, said member being disposed and slidable axially in said bore between a closed position wherein it blocks and shuts off both said passages and an open position wherein it unblocks said passages and permits communication therebetween,

(d) a spring disposed in the valve member, one end of the spring engaging the transverse wall of the valve member and the other end engaging an end wall of the bore of housing,

(e) said spring urging the valve member to its closed position,

(f) a resilient plastic valve actuator plunger disposed in said bore and slidable axially therein,

(g) a stem connecting one end of the actuator plunger to the transverse wall of the valve member in spaced relation therewith, said stem being of smaller diameter than the valve member and plunger,

(b) said plunger projecting from the valve housing and having a finger-engageable outer end for effecting its manual operation,

(i) the inner end of the plunger having a coaxial annular bead projecting radially therefrom,

(1 aid valve housing having an internal annular head in the mouth of the bore and coaxial therewith,

(k) said two annular beads being cooperable with each other and constituting stops to hold the plunger captive in the valve housing and to limit outward movement of the plunger under the action of said spring to a position wherein the valve member occupies its said closed position,

(1) said internal annular bead of the valve housing having an outer bevel surface and the annular bead of the plunger having an inwardly directed bevel surface which is cooperable with the bevel surface of the valve housing to enable the plunger bead to contract, and the housing bead to spread open, whereby said plunger bead may be forced inwardly past the housing bead whereby the plunger can be assembled to the housing by temporary deformation of the parts,

(m) both of said beads 'being of generally tapering cross section and having narrow crown portions of rounded cross sectional shape to facilitate their yielding and temporary deformation during said assembly of the plunger.

2. A dispensing valve construction as in claim 1, wherein the said spring is of sufficiently large diameter to slightly radially expand the resilient valve member and cause the same to maintain a continuous force against the walls of said bore to minimize leakage past said member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1934- Rechten 222511 4/1960 Thomas 222559 X 

1. A DISPENSING VALVE CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A VALVE HOUSING HAVING INLET AND DISCHARGE PASSAGES COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER, AND HAVING A BORE CONSTITUTING A VALVE SEAT AND VALVE BEARING, (B) SAID BORE BEING DISPOSED AT A JUNCTURE OF, AND COMMUNICATING WITH BOTH SAID PASSAGERS, (C) A CUP-SHAPED RESILIENT PLASTIC VALVE MEMBER HAVING A TRANSVERSE BOTTOM WALL, SAID MEMBER BEING DISPOSED AND SLIDABLE AXIALLY IN SAID BORE BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION WHEREIN IT BLOCKS AND SHUTS OFF BOTH SAID PASSAGE AND AN OPEN POSITION WHEREIN IT UNBLOCKS SAID PASSAGES AND PERMITS COMMUNICATION THEREBETWEEN, (D) A SPRING DISPOSED IN THE VALVE MEMBER, ONE END OF THE SPRING ENGAGING THE TRANSVERSE WALL OF THE VALVE MEMBER AND THE OTHER END ENGAGING AN END WALL OF THE BORE OF HOUSING, (E) SAID SPRING URGING THE VALVE MEMBER TO ITS CLOSED POSITION, (F) A RESILIENT PLASTIC VALVE ACTUATOR PLUNGER DISPOSED IN SAID BORE AND SLIDABLE AXIALLY THEREIN, (G) A STEM CONNECTING ONE END OF THE ACTUATOR PLUNGER TO THE TRANSVERSE WALL OF THE VALVE MEMBER IN SPACED RELATION THEREWITH, SAID STEM BEING OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE VALVE MEMBER AND PLUNGER, (H) SAID PLUNGER PROJECTING FROM THE VALVE HOUSING AND HAVING A FINGER-ENGAGEABLE OUTER END FOR EFFECTING ITS MANUAL OPERATION, (1) THE INNER END OF THE PLUNGER HAVING A COAXIAL ANNULAR BEAD PROJECTING RADIALLY THEREFROM, 